


Scarred by You

by Dreaming_in_Circles



Series: Burn Me Like Fire [2]
Category: Chicago Fire
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Dom/sub Undertones, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Time, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2016-07-25
Packaged: 2018-07-26 15:15:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7579033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreaming_in_Circles/pseuds/Dreaming_in_Circles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kelly works his way out of the hospital, through rehab, and back into good health. He's ready to move on from the accident. It's history; it's over. But Matt? He can't forget it that easily, and he's not so ready to move on yet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Direct continuation of Drunk on You.

The first 36 hours that Kelly spent unconscious in the hospital were the worst of Casey’s life. He skipped the rest of shift, stayed the night while Kelly spent seven hours in surgery. The doctor finally came out at about five in the morning, looking almost as tired as Casey was. Casey’s bones felt as heavy as lead, but he couldn’t close his eyes, could barely sit still for all the adrenaline and nervous energy pounding through him at the thought of Kelly laid open on the operating table.

The doc had good news. She said the leg would be fine; they’d monitor the concussion. She gave Casey a severe look, told him Kelly’s spine was the biggest concern, but the surgery had went well. Said Kelly was long overdue for that operation. Casey didn’t know what she was talking about, but she told him the room number when he asked, so he didn’t push the matter.

Casey checked on Kelly before stepping out to make a phone call. He wasn’t too surprised to find Chief Boden awake, and passed along the room number, and the basics the doctor had told him. Boden told him to try to get some rest; Casey made a non-committal noise and hung up. Squad arrived almost the instant shift ended, and they filled Kelly’s room and the waiting room across the hall with quiet tension. It was so thick Casey felt like he could breathe it in, and it weighted his lungs down like water vapor.

At the end of the day, Chief Boden sent Squad home, and the guys from Truck plus Dawson and Shay showed up to watch Kelly through the night. Casey was grateful for all their support. There wasn’t a thing any of them could do at that point, but it was nice having them there. Casey himself refused to move from Kelly’s hospital room until he woke up, regardless of Chief’s demands. The other’s slept in fits and bursts, quiet conversation filling the room every now and then. Casey was so weary, but he didn’t really sleep.

Boden kicked everyone out of the room and kept everyone out after Kelly woke up. Casey knew he was right, but he didn’t really appreciate it. The guys from Truck started trickling home, calling Squad to let them know what Kelly had said. Chief Boden put a heavy hand and Casey’s shoulder and looked pointedly at the exit.

“C’mon Casey. I’ll drive you home. Time you got some sleep.” Casey tried to twist out from under Boden’s grip

“Chief, I really want to stay-“

“Lieutenant, you are still in your gear, and I don’t think you’ve slept for two days,” Boden interrupted sternly. Casey stared at him with wide eyes. He wasn’t thinking clear enough to be able to say anything to that.

“Matt,” the Chief continued in a softer tone of voice, and Casey knew he needed to listen to him. Boden almost never used first names. “Shay and Dawson will stay with Severide. The best thing for him is to rest. And you need to go home. Sleep, shower, eat something. Now come on.” Boden wrapped his arm around Casey’s shoulders. “I’ll drive you home.”

The ride to Casey’s apartment was done in silence. Casey almost fell asleep in the car, but if Chief noticed, he didn’t take the opportunity to brag. Casey couldn’t stop thinking about Kelly. He could barely move; he looked so drained in the hospital bed. After forever and no time at all, Boden parked his car at the curb in front of Casey’s house.

“Thanks, Chief,” Casey said as clearly as he could manage. He could barely keep his eyes open at that point. Boden put a hand on his shoulder again.

“Why don’t you skip the next shift, Casey? I’ll call someone in from the floater pool, you can take the day to get your head on straight.” Chief Boden knew he had to offer, but he also knew Casey would say no. He was already shaking his head.

“’m fine, Chief. I can do my job, just need some sleep,” Boden knew Casey was tired if he was willing to admit Boden was right. He wanted to keep arguing, but he knew that wouldn’t do Casey any good.

“I’ll pick you tomorrow morning for shift,” Boden continued, and Casey nodded compliantly. “Take the rest of the day Casey. Don’t go back to the hospital ‘til after shift. If anything changes, you know you’ll be Dawson’s first call.”

“Yeah,” Casey nodded, staring distractedly out the windshield. He couldn’t stop imagining what the driver must have seen. The luminescent strips from Kelly’s uniform? A dark shadow on the road? A sudden weight on the windshield, cracks spiderwebbing out from where he was laying on the front-

“Sure you’re okay from here?” There was worry in the Chief’s eyes, but Casey waved it away easily as he dug out his keys.

“Yeah, ‘m fine. Don’ worry about it.” Casey leaned on the door to push it open, and stumbled out of Boden’s car. He trudged up the steps to the front door slowly. It took him a minute, but he eventually got the right key for the door, and Boden stayed to watch until it closed behind him.

Casey climbed the stairs up to his bedroom very slowly, leaning heavily on the wall as he pushed himself up the steps. Just a couple days ago Kelly had held him up as he climbed the stairs drunk, but to Casey it almost felt like a lifetime ago.

He shed pieces of his uniform as he worked his way down the hall and back to his bedroom, nearly tripping over his boots in the hallway. He stripped until he had nothing but a t-shirt and his jeans; too tired to take even that off, he collapsed onto the bed and passed out the instant his eyes closed.

Casey was grateful he slept most of the day, or else he would have gone stir crazy. In between sleeping and the handful of other household chores he could force himself to do, Casey was proud to say he only called Dawson once. She didn’t seem to mind too much, just reported the general reassurances that Kelly was doing well, and still sleeping.

Chief Boden picked him up the next morning. The Chief was on time; Casey was a minute late, juggling a gym bag and his gear. Boden didn’t complain when Casey climbed into his car, only held out a paper cup of take-out coffee that Casey accepted gratefully. Boden gave Casey the usual lecture about focusing on the job while he was on shift, and Casey nodded in all the right places.

“That said,” Boden added after a pause. “Severide’s condition hasn’t changed. Dawson called to say he’s a little more alert, but not moving much yet.”

“Thanks, Chief,” was all Casey could manage. He hoped it conveyed how truly appreciative he was. They settled into silence after that, the hum of the engine and the dull roar of the wind the only noise.

“Severide’s tough, Matt; he’ll pull through,” Boden added, shattering the silence. Casey nodded. He’d been telling himself the same thing since Kelly had woken up in the hospital, but hearing it from his Chief made it real.

The firehouse was subdued, and Casey alternately appreciated the quiet and felt like he was drowning in it. He tried to bury himself in paperwork and avoid the others’ speculation at how long Kelly would be out with a spinal operation like that, and a broken leg. People kept coming up to ask how Casey was, saying they knew how good of friends he and Kelly were and they were so sorry. Part of Casey jumped with grief even as he was grateful no one knew about his real relationship with Kelly. If it still was something more than friendship; they’d been at an awkward stage, and hadn’t exactly had time to discuss it before the accident. Casey wasn’t sure where they stood, and it scared him a little.

Casey spent the next several days off at the hospital. He wasn’t alone; nearly everyone in the house came by a few times during the week they kept Kelly for observation. It was nice, and Kelly seemed to appreciate the company. The doctors said he was responding well to it, and every day he seemed more awake and himself, even starting to get up and hobble around on crutches. It eased Casey’s worried soul to see, but it didn’t give Casey a chance to really _talk_ to Kelly.

After he was released, Kelly started spending a lot of time in rehab, and people stopped coming around every free hour. Casey kept it up for the first couple days, and then stopped when Shay started giving him suspicious looks. Besides which, Kelly always looked so exhausted after PT, he probably just wanted to rest. At least, that was what Casey told himself.

After more than a month into Kelly’s rehab, Shay cornered Casey in the firehouse.

“Severide has his doctor appointment today, and she’s going to tell him if he can return to duty next shift or not. I’m going to surprise him with bad take-out and cheap beer to celebrate, and I think you should come.”

“And if he can’t come back yet?” Casey asked, a knot forming in his stomach at the thought.

Shay shrugged grandly. “Then we’ll morn. Whatever. Just come over. You haven’t been around in a while. He misses you.”

Casey raised a skeptical eyebrow even as his pulse raced. “ _He_ said that? Really?”

Shay rolled her eyes. “No. But come over anyway.”

Casey showed up that night with a case of good beer and – apparently – the key to Shay’s heart.

“You keep bringing the good stuff, you can _sleep_ here for all I care!” she declared happily. Casey laughed at the joke and quietly wondered if it would ever get to that point. He was still on pins and needles over the state of their relationship.

Kelly showed up fifteen minutes after Casey with the biggest damn grin Casey had ever seen, and asking how the appointment had gone seemed completely unnecessary. Kelly was 100% again, finally, and Casey could see it in everything he did; it made all the difference in his attitude, his demeanor, even the way he walked was different now. His swagger was back. He wore it well.

The food was terrible, the beer was good, and Casey couldn’t stop smiling once through all of dinner. They were just clearing away the take-out boxes and Casey was wondering what excuse would allow him to stay longer when Shay got a text.

“It’s Dawson. She needs a rescue from a bad date.” Shay looked up and shrugged. “Sorry guys, but I gotta go.”

“I didn’t know Dawson had a date tonight,” Casey commented idly. Dawson didn’t usually broadcast her plans, but he thought she would have mentioned it when they’d gotten breakfast together that morning.

Shay shrugged. “Yeah, it was a blind date thing the paramedics at 62 set up. Badly, by the sound of it. Of course.” Shay laughed, and disappeared down the hall. “Don’t wait up for me!” she called before the door slammed, and Casey and Severide were alone in the house.

The sudden tension hit Casey like a snapped steel wire, and he breathlessly handed the leftovers to Severide to stack in the fridge. He mentally scrambled for something to say, something other than their relationship, because he suddenly wasn’t ready for that conversation.

“So, the doc said you could come back next shift? Or are there more tests or paperwork or anything to finish before you can start?” It was the first thing Casey could think of, and it seemed natural enough.

“Nope. She said I was all set to go,” Severide shut the fridge door and turned back to Casey with a smile.

“Great.” Casey nodded decisively. “We’ve missed you over there. Otis tells me harassing Squad isn’t the same without you.”

Severide laughed and maneuvered around the corner of the island counter. “Glad to hear I’ve been missed. But,” he paused, tilted his head to the side a little, and Casey hadn’t seen that look on his face since that night in his office. “You don’t really want to talk about the house right now, do you?” He kept moving until he was inches away from Casey; they were practically touching before he stopped. Casey could feel the heat coming off Kelly’s body through his t-shirt, and Kelly watched himself trace a light hand up Casey’s arm, goosebumps rising in response. Casey couldn’t take his eyes of Kelly’s face, his eyes. He reached out and wrapped his hands around Kelly’s face, thumbs brushing over his cheekbones, just feeling him alive in his hands.

“I was worried about you,” Casey breathed as Kelly’s hand reached the base of his neck, Kelly’s eyes sought out his own. They stood like that for a long moment, the silence charged. Casey couldn’t breathe, looking into Kelly’s eyes and wondering what he would say, what he would think, how he could possibly make the panic better in retrospect. It wasn’t something Casey thought he could ever forget.

“’m fine, Matt,” Kelly finally whispered, and he pressed his lips against Casey’s as if to prove it. He pulled back and wiped his thumbs across Casey’s cheeks, and for the first time Casey realized he’d been silently crying. 

“Fuck,” he muttered. He could feel himself blushing in embarrassment, and this really wasn’t how he’d wanted the night to go. He sniffed and wiped his face with his hands. “Sorry.”

“You were really worried,” Kelly muttered, and he sounded almost surprised. His tone hurt a startling amount.

“Of course I was,” Casey bit back, his own tone none too gentle anymore. “You almost died, damn it!”

Kelly gave Casey a look that was somewhere between confusion and pity, and Casey was not impressed. “I know! But I’m fine, Casey. I’ll be back on duty next shift!”

“That’s not the point!” Casey snapped. He turned his back on Severide and paced to the other end of the island. “What if you weren’t? What if you died!?”

Severide gestured grandly, as if grasping at air for the answer. “What do you want from me? An apology for getting my ass run over?”

“I want some acknowledgement!” Casey yelled. Severide looked like he was at a complete loss for words, so Casey forced himself to take a deep breath before he continued. “Thirty-six hours, Kelly. That’s how long you were unconscious.” Severide rolled his eyes, and yeah, he’d probably heard that a million times from the doctors, but not the rest of what Casey had to say. “I sat in your hospital room, and waited for you to wake up, and the doctors were telling me you might never.” And damn it, he was crying again, but Casey couldn’t seem to help himself. “I don’t even know what I want,” he muttered after a moment.

Kelly didn’t say anything, and Casey felt thoroughly embarrassed, so he muttered something about having an early morning, grabbed his coat, and left Severide’s apartment as fast as he could. Casey resolutely did not look back as he drove away.


	2. Chapter 2

Severide felt like he was getting whiplash. First Casey kissed him while drunk, and proceeded to pass out five minutes later. Then Severide didn’t hear from him for two days, and suddenly they’re kissing on shift. And then there was the accident – that one was on him, admittedly – and Casey is always there and suddenly never there – that was on Shay, again, to be fair. They finally got the chance to sit down and actually do something – however many weeks after this whole damn thing started – and Casey wants to pick a fight? Severide was convinced he was going to get whiplash from their relationship. To be fair, most of his life felt like it was going to give him whiplash. Severide rocketed through life so unbelievably quickly, and he wouldn’t change that for anything, but sometimes it could get a bit crazy.

Severide chose not to chase after Casey that night. It wasn’t really his style, and anyway, Kelly knew Casey could get like that sometimes. Matt had a bad habit of holding onto things until he metaphorically exploded, and it was always messy. If Matt needed a punching bag to hurl words and emotions at – well, it wasn’t the first time Matt had used Kelly for that. Kelly was willing to let it sit until shift.

Of course, shift was still 36 hours away, and Kelly had nothing to do for the next day and a half. The thought of Matt kept eating away at his mind until Kelly caved and found himself on Matt’s doorstep the afternoon before shift. His excuses were he’d been in the neighborhood for lunch, Shay wanted him out of the apartment for the day, the wall still needed to be fixed. They all sounded pretty weak to him, but Kelly figured Matt might buy one of them.

Matt answered the door after Kelly’s third knock. He looked like he’d been getting ready to leave for a job; he had his tool belt on, and the paint-stained clothes he used when he was working.

“Hey,” Kelly started by way of greeting. He wasn’t sure what to say next, and a small silence stretched.

“Hi,” Matt said in response. He looked completely surprised to see Kelly there, and wore that wide-eyed look again. Kelly had the sudden urge to just kiss the shock off his face, though that would probably have the opposite effect.

“I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by-“ Kelly continued haltingly.

“Yeah, come on in,” Matt said immediately, stepping aside to let Kelly through the door.

“If you need to leave on a job, I can always come back later,” Kelly offered even as he walked into the hallway.

“No, I was just…working around the house,” Matt gestured around, and it was only then that Kelly noticed the canvas spread on the floor, with plasterboard and paint lined up on the wall.

“Looks like I’m just in time to help,” Kelly joked, turning back to look at Matt.

“Yeah.” There was another silence, and Matt looked decidedly uncomfortable. “Look, Kelly, you don’t have to help. I can do this myself; it’s fine.”

Kelly felt like he’d just been tossed into an abyss. He was completely speechless, and just stared at Matt with a combination of dismay and confusion. He wanted to tell Matt, _of course you can do it by yourself, that’s not the point. Do you even_ get _the point? Why are you pushing me away?_ Matt looked miserable and resolute at the same time. He looked like he might cry.

“Matt,” Kelly finally forced out, and Matt looked away from him and blinked. Kelly could see tears drip down his cheeks, and he felt like he couldn’t breathe witnessing Matt’s sadness.

“Fuck you, Matthew Casey,” Kelly muttered, and his own voice sounded broken. He marched forward and wrapped his arms around Matt as tight as he could, and Matt didn’t hesitate to reciprocate the hug. “I’m not going fucking anywhere.”

“Andy said the same thing,” Matt muttered. “And Hallie.”

“’m right here, Matt,” Kelly said, pulling back to look Matt in the eye. He wrapped his hands around Matt’s face. “’m not goin’ anywhere.” Matt took a shaky breath, but didn’t seem convinced yet. “You saved my life after the accident.” Kelly unconsciously tightened his grip on Matt. “I know I can count on you to have my back. And you can count on me.”

Matt raised his hands and grabbed Kelly’s wrists. His hands were a warm and heavy weight against Kelly’s skin. Matt looked calmer, so Kelly leaned in and kissed him. He pulled back after just a couple seconds, but Matt chased his mouth, wrapping a hand in Kelly’s hair to keep him still. Matt pressed his body up against Kelly’s, warm and solid, and Kelly wrapped one hand around Matt’s neck as the other sought out his hip. Matt’s cock was starting to press up against Kelly’s thigh, one hand in Kelly’s hair, the other clawing at his back. Matt gasped into Kelly’s mouth and his hips rocked into Kelly slightly when he tightened his grip on Matt’s waist, and god that was _hot_.

Kelly abruptly walked Matt back up against the hallway wall, damn near tripping over the canvas tarp as their boots caught on the fabric. Matt hit the wall a little hard, and then giggled.

“What?” Kelly huffed, crowding into Matt’s space and pressing their bodies together, his hands finding and gripping Matt’s hips again. Matt had to gasp for breath again before he could answer.

“Tryin’ to put more holes in my wall?” he huffed, then laughed breathily. Kelly chuckled as he nipped at the skin of Matt’s jaw. He tasted like soap and shaving cream, his skin clean and smooth from shaving.

“At least you don’t smell like smoke this time.” Kelly breathed the words onto Matt’s skin as he nuzzled at his neck, hands already moving to untuck Matt’s shirt from his pants.

“What?” Kelly could hear the confusion in Matt’s voice, and he grinned into Matt’s skin, his hands starting to trace up Matt’s sides under his shirt.

“Last time, in your office. After the first half of shift,” Kelly explained before pulling away slightly to pull Matt’s shirt off completely. As soon as it was off, Matt grabbed the back of Kelly’s head and pressed his nose to Kelly’s neck. Kelly laughed, his hands going back to Matt’s waist as he pushed their hips together. He could feel Matt’s hot breath ghost over his shoulder as he gasped and pushed back, then the gentle scrape of teeth as Matt nipped at the base of Kelly’s neck. He pushed Kelly’s jacket off his shoulders and sucked gentle kisses onto Kelly’s skin around the collar of his shirt.

Kelly could feel himself breathing harder under the touch of Matt’s tongue and teeth. His hips thrust erratically into Matt’s, the both of them gasping at the friction that wasn’t nearly enough. Kelly rushed to undo Matt’s tool belt buckle, and had enough presence of mind to make sure it didn’t land on their feet when it fell to the floor. He made quick work of Matt’s jeans, pushing them off his hips along with his underwear. He wrapped his hand around Matt’s cock, already hard and hot and dripping precome. He ran his thumb tentatively over the head, through the liquid, and the high-pitched cry of pleasure that Matt made took his breath away. He pressed his body harder against Matt’s nearly naked one.

Matt’s hands dropped to Kelly’s jeans, and he practically ripped the button off in his haste to undo them. Kelly toed his boots off and deftly pushed them to one side, stepping out of his own jeans and underwear as Matt pushed them down. Matt took them both in hand, and god, Kelly felt like he couldn’t get enough oxygen into his lungs.

He thrust hard and desperate into their hands, his free hand holding onto Matt at the bottom of his ribs, keeping him pressed against the wall. Matt’s free arm was looped around the back of Kelly’s neck, keeping him bent over slightly and their faces pressed together. Matt’s hot breath ran over Kelly’s cheek, his panting harsh and lined with half-started noises that got caught in the back of his throat. Kelly reached up and grabbed Matt’s hair – it was just long enough to get a good grip – and pulled his head back against the wall.

Matt was flushed, sweaty, gasping for breath, and the moan he let out as Kelly pulled his hair was absolutely sinful. Kelly adjusted his grip in Matt’s hair and kept tugging as he kissed Matt hard, tongue pressed against tongue and teeth scraping lips. Matt was keening into the kiss, the thrust of his hips growing more sporadic and his grip on Kelly’s neck growing tighter. Kelly squeezed his cock a little tighter, and Matt came with a muffled shout as Kelly refused to relinquish the kiss.

Kelly adjusted his stance slightly and rutted against Matt’s hip a few more times, sucking Matt’s already swollen lip into his mouth. Matt was still keening at Kelly’s touch, and panting like he’d just run the two-mile at the Academy. Kelly could smell the sweat on him, thick and musky, his body slick with it. A few more thrusts, and Kelly came, come spreading over Matt’s hip and the wall behind them.

Kelly collapsed against the wall next to Matt, part of his body still draped across Matt’s shoulder, his forehead bumping the side of Matt’s head. The both of them were panting now, and Matt looked a little boneless. Kelly couldn’t stop staring at the sweat that beaded his forehead, or the way his hair stood at odd angles. He was gorgeous.

Matt looked down at himself and started giggling. Kelly followed his gaze and couldn’t help his own laughter at the sight.

“You didn’t even get your pants off,” Kelly joked, nuzzling the hair behind Matt’s ear. It was slightly damp, and smelled strongly of Matt’s sweat, and Kelly inhaled deeply.

“I feel like a fucking teenager again,” Matt complained, but Kelly could hear the smile in his voice and knew he didn’t mean it. He hummed into Matt’s hair but otherwise didn’t move.

“What is it with you and the way I smell?” Matt continued, but there still wasn’t any bite to his voice. He turned his head so their foreheads were pressing together. Kelly forwent a response and kissed Matt lightly. Matt huffed good-naturedly and looked down at the wall where his fingers were poking absently at Kelly’s come slowly dripping down the wall.

“If this stains, we’ll have to scrape the paint and repaint over here, too,” he muttered almost to himself. Kelly adjusted his position on the wall uncomfortably.

“So you finally decided to let me help?” he asked, and he hoped it sounded like a joke, and not as serious as he felt.

Matt looked back up at him, and for a second there was an expression Kelly couldn’t read, but then he broke out into a smile. “Well, you made a good case. And they’re both your fault, so it would only be fair.” Matt’s smile grew into a laugh, and Kelly kissed him again out of sheer joy.

“I gotta go shower,” Matt said when they broke the kiss. “Make yourself useful and see if you can clean up the wall.”

Kelly snorted, but stooped to pick up his jeans and pull them back on anyway. His shirt was sweaty, but had otherwise survived, so he padded into the kitchen in stocking feet in search of paper towel. After a cursory search, he didn’t find anything, and padded back into the hall to ask Matt where he kept it. Matt, who was still stripping out of his pants and boots. He’d gotten one leg free, but was just taking off the other boot. Kelly watched as he stripped off his pants, sock, and underwear, collected his shirt, and climbed the stairs to the shower looking slightly boneless and uncoordinated still.

Kelly turned back to the kitchen, and stopped as the sound of running water filled the pipes. He turned back and climbed the stairs two at a time, stripping clothes outside the bathroom door before opening it as quietly as he could and stepping inside.

Matt was already in the shower, the air not yet heavy with steam. Kelly crossed to the tub and gently pushed the shower curtain open slightly. Matt was facing away from him and hadn’t noticed yet, so Kelly climbed into the tub and wrapped his arms around Matt’s waist.

Matt jumped a good foot off the ground, half trying to push Kelly away, half trying to turn to see who it was before he realized. He sighed in relief, then punched Kelly’s shoulder when he laughed in amusement.

“Who’d you think it was?” Kelly laughed, pulling him close again as Matt reached for the shampoo.

“I didn’t know; why d’you think I panicked?” Matt barked back incredulously. “You can’t go around scaring me like that. We have short enough lifespans as it is.”

“Well, that just takes the fun out of it,” Kelly joked, taking the shampoo that Matt offered and pouring some into his own hand. The water was getting hot, and the air was finally getting steamy. Kelly watched Matt step under the shower spray and start to rinse the shampoo out of his hair. He suddenly stepped up and pushed Matt’s hands out of the way to finish the job. Matt started to turn, a question already starting to come out, before Kelly quietly grabbed his shoulders and held him still. After a second, Matt relaxed and let Kelly go back to rinsing out his hair. Kelly ran his hands through Matt’s blonde strands and massaged his scalp to be thorough. He could see Matt relaxing under his touch, and it calmed Kelly in some way, too.

Kelly finished with Matt’s hair and reached for the soap next. He gently walked Matt out from under the spray and squeezed some of the liquid soap into his hand. He made sure to cover every part of Matt thoroughly, and though it probably should have been weird, it seemed natural, comfortable, though it did not go unnoticed by him that neither of them would look the other in the eye. Kelly filed that away to deal with later. He rinsed Matt off carefully and watched him climb out of the tub in search of a towel. Kelly quickly soaped and rinsed himself off, all while wondering where the hell that had just come from. The whole concept of showering with someone else was not something he’d even considered before.

By the time he got out of the shower, Matt had disappeared. There was a fresh towel on the counter, next to clean jeans and a Truck t-shirt that most definitely was not Kelly’s. The clothes fit well, though the jeans were a little short and the shirt a little tight across his shoulders.

Kelly wandered out of the bathroom and back downstairs, where Matt was examining the wall. The leftovers from their earlier exploits had long since dried, and Kelly was pretty sure they’d have to repaint, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care.

“I never knew you hated my wall so much,” Matt quipped and Kelly snorted as he walked up behind Matt and wrapped his arms around him. He did his best to shrug from his new position.

“What’s a little extra paint scraping?” he asked dismissively, but Matt laughed outright at him.

“You’ve clearly never worked with plasterboard before.”

“Well,” Kelly responded, kissing Matt’s earlobe. “Lucky I know a guy.”

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome back to this shameless pile of Sevasey trash I’ve fallen into. I 100% blame all of you who egged me on after my last fic, and thank you so much for doing so. This is entirely your fault. A few notes:  
> Turns out Casey lives in a house, not an apartment. Whoops. This is what happens when I write fic and I’m not caught up with the fandom yet. The mistake has been corrected in this story, and the previous one.  
> It also would seem there are a few strong opinions about this ship. As a holder of many strong opinions, I love hearing about all of them, but calmly. We’re going to do this with Casey’s calm fury rather than Severide’s angry righteousness. Anyone who pulls a Severide will be seeing the Chief in his office.  
> Finally, thanks to those of you who helped me dig my grave, build my coffin, and all but push me into it, this is the first time I have ever written smut. If you are so inclined, please consider leaving me a comment telling me what you thought and where I could improve; any and all constructive criticism will be welcome. Pursuit of perfection is a never ending journey, and all that jazz.


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